Device for bowlers



April 18, 1961 c. s. JOHNSON DEVICE FOR BOWLERS Filed Sept. 25, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

BY CU 020 5. Jam/f0 ,bowler, showing the front of the bowler; e Figure 3 is a drawing of one embodiment of the fore- United States DEVICE FOR BOWLERS Clifford s. Johnson, 70s Beckville Ave, Duarte, Calif.

Filed Sept. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 842,483

4 Claims. (21. 273-54 This invention relates to a device which enables a person having an infirmity in his shoulder, arm, or elbow to engage in the game commonly known as bowling without experiencing significant pain or discomfort. The device also has utility as an aid in the proper training of a person in the game of bowling.

The game of bowling, or more properly, tenpins, has achieved great popularity in recent times. In this game, a ball weighing approximately fifteen pounds is utilized. Heretofore, persons who may have experienced an injury to their shoulder, arm or elbow, which made it impossible or painful for them to lift and control the weight of such a ball, have found it uncomfortable to engage in bowling. Furthermore, accurate control of the motion of the ball is necessary in order to enjoy the game. Such persons, often, due to their infirmity, have not been properly able to control the ball during its delivery.

Manybowlers, who have no such infirmity in their arm, have an improper motion in the delivery of'the ball, inthat the arm is swung back too far prior to com mencement of the forward swing of the arm when the ball is delivered. An excessive amount of such back swing results in the bowler releasing the ball when offbalance or with an incorrect stride, thus resulting in an inaccurate delivery of the ball. I

According to the present invention, a device is worn by the bowler during bowling, which consists essentially of a waist band anda shoulder patch which are .connected together by several connecting members so that the shoulder patch is held in place against the shoulder of the bowler and the waist band encloses the waist of the bowler. A foreann band encloses the forearm used .to hold the bowling ball. A support member which has the characteristic of being elastic is connected between the forearm band and the shoulder patch. The length of the support member is such that extension of the arm of thebowler in a vertical downward direction causes the support member to stretch and thereby provide support of a substantial portion of the weight of the ball held by'the'bowler. The support member connection on g the shoulder patch ispositioned in such a manner that the amount of back swing of the armiof the bowler is limited.

The invention may be more readily understood by ref erencetothe accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a drawing of the invention as bowler, showing theback of the bowler;

Figure 2 is a drawing of the invention as worn by a r armband according to the invention; and

I the forearm band.- 1

Referring now to Fig. 1,'there1 is shown a bowler 1i r1gure 4 is a drawing lo'f an alternate embodiment of Wearing a device for a-bowler 11 according to the. invention. The device 11 has at waist band 12 to which are connected two connecting members '13. The connecting members 13. are connected to the waist band'12 so as to be slidable therealong by means of a loop 14 on each connecting member 13. The loop 14 is formed by means of a stud 15 passing through the material of the connecting member 13 at the neck of the loop. A shoulder patch 16 and the two connecting members 13 are connected together by a second stud '17 which passes through the material of each.

The two connecting members 13 consist of first portions 18 which are connected to the shoulder patch 16 and second portions 19 which include the loops 14. Adjustment of the length of the connecting members 13 is provided for by a buckle 20 connected to the second portion 19 and adapted to buckle to the first portion 18. Adjustment of the connecting members 13 is made to suit the size of the individual bowler in this preferred embodiment. However, it is to be understood that the device according to the invention may be made to size for the particular bowler, thus obviating the need for the adjustability of the connecting members. In either embodiment the length of the connecting memb'ers 13 is such that the shoulder patch 16 rides on the top of the shoulder of the bowler.

Figure 2 shows a front view of the bowler 10 wearing the device 11. A front connecting member 26 is connected to the shoulder patch 16 by means of a third stud 27. The front connecting member 26 is slidable along the waist band 12 in the same manner as was described with respect to the back connecting members 13. A fourth stud 28 passing through a loop 29 in the material of the front connecting member 26 provides the structure whereby the front connecting member 26 may slide along'the waist band '12. A buckle 30 connects an upper portion 31 and a lower portion 32 of the front connecting member 26 in the same manner as was described'with respectto the back connecting members 13.

A forearm band 35 girds the forearm of the bowler 25. A support member 36, preferably in the form of a loop, is connected between the forearm band 35 and the shoulder patch 16 and provides support for. a bowling ball 37 held in the hand 38 of the bowler 10 when the arm of the bowler 10 is extended downward. The

support member 36 has the characteristic of being elastic.

. In the illustrated embodiment, which is the preferred embodiment, the support member 36 consists of the first portion 39 constructed of an elastic material and a sec end portion 40 constructed of substantially inelastic material. In this embodiment, the firstportion 39 is constructed from material which maintains its width on stretching and .has the characteristic of requiring three pounds tension per inch of expansion. Such material is commonlyavailable from cobblers. 7 1

The first and second portions, 39 and 40, of the support member 36, are connected together by means of a buckle 41 in the same manner as was describcd with rehook 42 on the support member 36 which engages a ring 43 attached-to theforearm band 35 by a connecting strap i Y 44, as is more clearlyoshown in Fig. 3. f

The forearm support member'36 is connected to the; g

shoulder patch" by a ring 45 and strap 46. The strap 46 is connected to the shoulder patch by the third stud 27 and fifth stud which is not shown. 7 Alternatively,.the

-, strap 46 may be stitched to. the shoulder'p'atch46 and the front connecting member'r26. The sfwivelled' snap hook 42 is preferably .slidable.inside theloop which-constitutes the forearm support member 36 inthe iillustrated i l embodiment in'order to equalize the tension on the two sides" of the'loopf when the support member supports sidef as shown by the dottedlines-SS. of the band 35"on the side from which the section has 7 been removed 'is less than theilen'gth of ,the band 35' t a on -it's opposite. side. A 'In this embodiment the buckles";

51 are'preferably aligned ratherthan being ,ofiset as 7 i "of the swing of the,bowler,@- a jgT he device, 1 1,iwhen wornunder asmn having: short the support member 36 consists entirely of elastic material, which :maybe either a single thicknessror a loop.,

The snap hook 42 isnot' slidablein this embodiment, f J The forearm band 35 is shown in greater detail in Fig: 3.1 I'l1eifor'earn1 band 35 consists, ,in its "preferred embodiment, of'a flatpiece of, material 50, which may be elk skin,' for example, to which areattac hed'th'e snap ring '43 and a'pair' of buckles 51 by means of straps of elk skin 44 and 52 respectively; The straps 44 and' 52 are attached'tothematerial SGbybeingISeWn' as-indi the major portion" of said support member consistingof eat'edIby the dotted lines 53. LAt-the'endof thekfore- I;

' arm band adaptedto .gird ajforearmof thel bowler, and

arm' band'35 opposite'the buckles 51, there arelforme'd two: extensions 54.2 These extensions, 5.4- vhavegholesf punched therein and are each adapted to en'gage appropriate, one of the, buckle's'Sl when theband 35 is t positioned 'ar'ound the'wrist of-thebowler; The buckles 151ai-e offset from eachother' to allow for the diminu tion-in circumference of the forearm 'of'the bowler in the dir ection of the hand, thereby providing a tight fiti for the band 35 about .thel fo'rearm. 1 An alternate em bodiment of the forearm band 'is shown'inFig; 4. a In thiszalternate embodiment, a'fOrearm band 35 is conl s'tructed by removing a" triangular section of appropriate nected between the shoulder patch and the 'waist band, aforearm band, and a supportvmember connected, between the forearm band andjthe shoulder patch, at least an elastic material, said support member having a length so that it is placedin tension upon movement of the bowlers arm to a substantiallystraightened position.

2; A device for bowler comprisi'ng'a waist band, a shoulder patch, a1p1urality of connecting members connected between the shoulder pat cli and' the waist band and disposed aboutthe perimeter of the WaiStBband, at

' least one of said connecting; members being-connected tothe waist bandso as tolbeslidahle therealong, ,a fore- 'a support member, a substantial portion of which consists of elastic material, said support member being connected between the shoulder patch and the forearm band and having a length so, thatit; isplaced intension upon movement of the bowleflsi arm-to a substantially straightened position. a V

' a'plurality of connecting membersfthej 'length'of at least one of which can 'be variedgsaid: connecting members size/from one. side of the material 50 and sewing this i Thus, thellength shown in Fi'g. 3. I

port jmembers 13 V and 26.,The :lengths' Ofv the, support members '13 and ZGare flseleCted-by means ofthe buckle's';

2t and 3Q as required by the physical'dir'nensions of the bowler- 10. 'The support members' lii and 26'are'posi-L tioned about the waist band 12 so as to provide a;com'-' fortable fit while simultaneously maintaining the required "'POSlfiOHQOf the shoulderipatch lfi. 1 The length; of the lppo 'imem e l is di d r q i ed y h p s -l "calidimensions'piE the bowler'to'provide the required amount of support ,fo r the bowling ,ball at tlie bottom sleeves, is 'practically i iunnoticeable and' eliminates 1cm being connectedbetweenlthe shoulder patch and thewaist band anddispo's'ed about the perimeter'of the waist band,

at least one'gof said connecting members being connected tojthewaist band soias' to'befslidablejtherealong, aforearmband adapted to igird 'a lfor'elarm' of, the bowler, and 'asu'pport member, a substantial portioniofiwhich con:

sists of an elastic 'matei'ial," said support 'member being connected between the, shoulder, patch and the forearm band th'avinga' lengthsothat iti's placed in tension upon' ,movementrof'the howlers armtoa substantially straightenedfpositiom ,i a r v orga,bow lercomprisingfa waist band, meansforselectingthe circumference of the waist band,

shoulder'patch, a plurality ofjconnecting members conne'ctedhetweenjtheshoulder patch and 'the lwais jband and slidablealong said waistband, said, connecting membjers beiing disposed aboutrthejperimeter of; said waist 1 7, band, means for selecting; 'conneetingmembers, a for-ear lengths Qt each of said ba a apted lQfs Va forearm of the bowler, and a support memberg'i a substantial portion or which 1consi'sts of an lelastic fmaterial,

" 7 said, support 'memben being connected between the shoul der patch and the" torearm band and including means o; ele velrfa ia t 95. 1t snr pbr l s "whereby'thegsupportgmemberis lacedi-in tension upon movel 'en ofthehow rs arm to aisubstant ially straightf barra'ssm'ent on the part of the'bowler which might: other-f I I i "i wisegoccun when utilizingthe inventions When not ac V 't ually in the process of bowling, freedomjoffa'ctionfor; jthe bowler fis accomplished-11); unhooking thegsupport memb n he i rl nd 1 ldi fin rt f t 7 and back ,supporbmemb ers"2Qand"1 ialong th band: 12 asfrequired: i

embersicon F V A..- .A, I 

